updated 09:00 am EST, Tue January 11, 2005

particleIllusion 2.0SE

for Mac OS X. The standalone application offers the ability to customize and modify quality, complex particle animations with library of more than 750 preset effects (smoke, fire, explosions, water effects, sparkles, colorful artistic effects, etc.) It features OpenGL hardware acceleration to provide realtime (or near realtime) previews of most effects and ultra-fast rendering of final output. particleIllusion 2.0 SE is an introductory version of wondertouch's particleIllusion 2.0 engine (also used in Discreet combustion) and the company said that particleIllusion 3.0, the most current version of the software, is scheduled for release on Mac OS X in the first quarter of 2005. particleIllusion 2.0SE is available for $80, after a $20 special January 2005 discount or as a free upgrade.